The Train Trip
by DarkAngelSnapeLover
Summary: David Read is attending a food festival in Atlanta, Georgia, so he decides to pack up Jane, Arthur, and DW and head to Georgia by train. Will the Read family find enjoyment in the trip or will it end in disaster? One-Shot. Dedicated to TimmyTurnerFan, a train lover who knows a lot more about trains than I do, but I hope I got at least a few things right. Rated K.


**The Train Trip**

Arthur, DW, and their parents looked over the train car with wide smiles. They were taking a trip to Atlanta, Georgia for a food festival, and rather than drive from Elwood City down to the Southern town, they decided to take advantage of train travel. After leaving young Kate with Grandma Thora, the Read family went to the train station and boarded a passenger train car.

"I want a window seat!" DW exclaimed as David pointed out their seats. DW slid over to the window, looking down to the steamy sidewalk below. "Whoa, is something on fire down there?"

"No, DW," David replied, trying not to chuckle at his young daughter's naive nature. "The train uses steam to move. The engines are just warming up right now, so you might see some puffs. See, look," he said, his voice being drowned out by DW and Arthur exclaiming loudly. A huge plume of steam rose over the window, and rather than look scared, DW laughed and asked when it would happen again.

"All aboard!" the conductor called outside, walking up and down the sidewalk making sure everyone was getting onto the train safely.

"We should sit down now. Arthur, you can have the other window seat," Jane smiled, patting her son's shoulders. He moved into the seat and his mother sat beside him. "David, come on. We have everything."

"I just...I feel like something is missing," he said, scratching his head.

"We're closing the doors now, Sir. Take your seat," an official said, moving to the front of the car to begin double checking tickets.

"I'll remember eventually," David smiled nervously, sitting down beside DW. She cried out as a blast of steam poured out of the train. The train began to pull forward then, scaring DW at first because of the movement and strange sounds, but she was soon used to it and trying to count all of the little crossings they went through. Unfortunately, she could only count to ten, so Arthur helped her with the rest.

As the train weaved down to Atlanta, David worried and worried about what he could be forgetting. He had his uniform, the tickets, the voucher for their rental car-he even had a few things he didn't need, like a macaroni necklace DW thought would be suitable for such a festival.

"David, the final stop is coming up," Jane whispered, patting her husband's knee. "This was a long trip, David. I'm surprised you haven't remembered yet."

"Oh my-it has been three days, hasn't it?"

"Four, Daddy," DW giggled. "I thought I was the one with trouble counting!"

"Oh dear," David cried.

"You counted wrong, didn't you? The conference started yesterday," Jane said before gasping loudly. "Your speech!"

David blushed and sank into his seat, "I hope they managed without me. My first food conference in the South and I mess everything up."

"Next stop, Atlanta, Georgia!" the conductor called over the train's intercom system. "On our approach, we'll see some of the best sights Atlanta has to offer. Over here we have-"

"We'll call from the station, David," Jane smiled, looking out the window with the children. They were happy to finally be off the train, especially since DW the picky eater hadn't really enjoyed all of the train food they had to offer, despite the chef insisting it was world-class cuisine. But you couldn't argue with DW, not about food.

Once at the station, David called the convention center where the event would be stationed. The line rang and rang before someone finally answered. Jane shifted on her feet as she held DW's hand tightly; the kids just wanted to leave so they could see what was outside the shiny glass doors other than benches and streetlights.

"Hello? Hi, this is David Read calling about the food convention. I was supposed to give a speech last night-"

David pulled the phone away from his ear suddenly. Jane gave him a perplexed look...before the sound of laughing hit his ear.

"Hello? Is this the right number?" David asked with an irritated tone.

"It's the right number but you've got the wrong date!" the man laughed. "That's not for two weeks!" he roared.

"Two weeks? Wow, thanks," David smiled, hanging up. "You guys don't mind being here for two weeks, do you?"

Jane shrugged, helping David with a few bags before heading to the rental car counter. After getting a small SUV, they stepped outside the building-

And into the most hottest air they'd ever felt. July in Atlanta made one feel like butter entering a hot pan-they fry. The Read family had felt heat, but never like this. They would be miserable for the next two weeks, but at least David got to attend his conference-the last that Jane would submit herself and the kids to for a very, VERY long time.

~End

Theme 008: Goin' On A Trip

A/N: I completed this one-shot from a challenge I'm doing with TheUltimateCombo and others. See our profiles for more info and feel free to join yourselves. (I'm currently on a summer hiatus of sorts, so PM TheUltimateCombo if you'd like to join)

I'm from Georgia, south of Atlanta, so it actually gets hotter than "butter in a frying pan" here, but you get used to it. The gnats, these little fruit fly like things that bite and buzz and make a nuissance of themselves, you never get used to them. At least they hate the heat though so they disappear at the heart of summer.

I'd like to dedicate this to TimmyTurnerFan. I didn't get too technical with the train things because I don't know too much about trains (actually I think our passenger lines run through Savanna, Georgia, i.e. well east of Atlanta, but a little white lie won't hurt, right?), but I thought of you when I wrote this and I hope you liked the piece:)

Note: Yes, the Read's seats are facing each other. I don't know if that's right or not but I've seen it in movies, so I used it.

~I hope everyone enjoyed the piece and have a nice summer:D


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